Center for Innovation in the Liberal Arts Associates

The CILA Associates work on projects in the scholarship of teaching and learning that contribute to the broader public discussion (at St. Olaf and elsewhere) of teaching and learning. These projects can be undertaken from the perspective of any discipline, but all investigate a teaching and learning question. Each Associate selects and leads a learning community of five faculty members, who work together on a topic related to the Associate's project. The Associates conclude their year's activities by writing an article documenting their work for publication in an appropriate journal. These articles contribute to the growing body of literature in the scholarship of teaching and learning.

One Associate each year is designated a CILA Associate for Teaching and Technology. This Associate's project involves the pedagogical uses of technology, and the Associate helps to serve as a bridge between IIT and faculty uses of instructional technologies.

The Associates also collaborate with the CILA director on related activities of the Center. Each Associate organizes two Faculty Conversations during the year, one on the topic of the Associate's project and one on any topic of broad interest.

Each Associate receives one course released-time, support for attending a relevant conference, and incidental expenses.

The CILA Associate Learning Communities

During the year, each Associate selects and leads a small faculty learning community on a topic related to his or her project. Each learning community involves five faculty members, who meet at least four times each semester to explore teaching and learning issues of common interest. For example, a CILA Associate investigating the use of Moodle for classroom assessment might propose a learning community on either Moodle or classroom assessment techniques. The group reads relevant literature and explores individual projects in the scholarship of teaching and learning.

Once the CILA Associates have been selected, they will issue an invitation for faculty to participate in their learning communities. Faculty members in the learning communities each receive an account of $500 for professional expenses.